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WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017: Beth Phoenix

Beth Phoenix

Class of 2017

Glamazon; Youngest Inductee Ever

Hall of Fame Rating

3 out of 10

Unimportant

I feel like every year, there are at least one to two inductees that boggle the mind. And there is a very present reason for this. WWE follows a format. It is as follows: One Headliner, One main eventer/well liked/well known talent, one tag team or group, one deceased, one ethnic minority and one woman. Some years, WWE will shift from this group, adding two or three “others”, which have given us inductions like Nick Bockwinkle and Larry Zybszko.

This format is what ruins the WWE Hall of Fame. This paint by numbers approach gives us our inductee today, 2017 WWE Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix?

Me too Kevin Sorbo

Many critics of the Hall of Fame like to talk about how WWE has a headliner problem. “There just aren’t enough big names left.” I don’t agree. In the next few years, Goldberg, Undertaker, The Rock and Daniel Bryan will each headline a class. Add Batista, Chris Jericho and even Triple H and we are in 2024. WWE does have one major problem with running out of inductees. They are running out of living women to induct.

Skipping Chyna, Miss Elizabeth and Luna Vachon, all deceased- who after Trish, Lita, Madusa and Jacqueline is there to go in? Ivory? Victoria? Molly Holly? Bull Nakano? WWE’s issue with trying to include a woman every year is that there just aren’t enough women wrestlers who have made an impact in American wrestling. Mildred Burke was women’s champ for 20 years; The Fabulous Moolah for 40 years Why? Because up until very recently, women’s wrestling was more of an attraction than a main focus.

For each Charlotte or Sasha Banks today, there were dozens of untalented “divas” who belonged no where near the ring. Candice Michelle or Cherry ring a bell? So, if outside of Lita and Trish, there are no other big names, what do you do?

Well if you are the WWE, you find a lady on good terms with the organization and is ‘notable’. As that could mean anyone, why not Beth Phoenix. (Plus she is Edge’s wife)

Beth Phoenix can be summarized by one word: fine. She was a women’s champion on three occasions, and had a long…wait no..short 6 year wrestling career. The bar must be pretty low for this 36 year old (and now officially youngest inductee in history) to make it to the Hallowed hall while Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Cornette wait.

Well let’s look at the hallowed career and judge ourselves.

A few positives for Beth Phoenix. She had a killer song

She looked muscular in the time of models. She could work around all her competitors.

Anyone think Maria, Melina, Candice Michelle or Kelly Kelly were a legitimate threat to Beth Phoenix? No? Well all of them beat Phoenix at different points. Why? because WWE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH WOMEN!

Because of this factor. I have a challenge for you dear reader. Can you answer these three questions?

Name a great Beth Phoenix match?

What specifically is she known for?

Name Beth Phoenix’s most memorable feud?

The answers of these questions are unknown. The closest I can answer is

3 minutes in Royal Rumble 2010

Santino

Santino

Partnership with Santino was all Santino Marella (much like his time with Maria and Kozlov- Santino makes people better)

Beth Phoenix’s inclusion is a joke. A WWE joke. She wrestled from 2006-2012, most of which was highlighted by the retiring of Trish and Lita, the burial of Mickie James, the Undertaker’s wife being champion too much and models playing wrestler.

How could can she be? She’s better than Alicia Fox, but if Alicia Fox ever gets in the Hall of Fame, I will scream!!!

I’m tired of this old song and dance. WWE has to stop inducting people for the sake of it. No Godfather, No Bushwhackers, No Teddy Long and No Beth Phoenix

Why 2017?

Because it was easy. She is the wife of Edge, retired and a woman. That’s it. That’s why.

Opens Door For?

Anyone who shows a modicome of wrestling ability in women’s wrestling- Kelly Kelly or Layla perhaps.

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One thought on “WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017: Beth Phoenix”

To be fair I think Beth Phoenix is being underrated by many that are comparing her career to women who thrived in a far more memorable period for women’s wrestling.
Beth Phoenix could wrestle, if she had competed in a women’s division with say the more refined women of today for example then I think those same people would rethink their opinion.
The problem Phoenix faced was that she was a decent wrestler that came along in a poor period for women’s wrestling, she was one of very few legitimate wrestlers in a division filled with models pretending to be wrestlers.
Beth Phoenix was never going to create magic and classic bouts with the likes of Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox, Candice and the Bellas.
For me personally there is only Beth Phoenix and Mickie James from that period that carved out a worthy HOF career.
When given the right opponent mainly Mickie James then you could see the wrestler in Beth Phoenix, she dominated the division during her whole WWE run mainly because she was the reliable competent performer that could be trusted to carry the division during the pretty terrible diva era of wrestling.
Yes I agree that women like Chyna, Luna Vachon, Miss Elizabeth and others I can think of pre diva search era should have got the nod before Beth Phoenix as it has only been 5 years since she retired.
Overall considering Beth Phoenix dominated WWE “divas” wrestling and kept women’s wrestling on life support during the darker days as well as being a multiple time champion then I think she is worthy just not as worthy as women from more memorable era’s.